The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-08-13
LETT Frs FROM Hon..

ter.
The beauty and worth of letters be-
ween those who have left home and
those who remain are connected with
sentiments that no one can appreciate
who has not sent and received these
letters. They are a tie of affection, or
rather an evidence of some tie, peculiar
to people of refinement and of emo
tional strength and persistence. The
practice is not found among people OF
low instincts, for they are not capable
of getting out of it the help and the
enjoyment that are so profitable to Peo-
pie of keener sensibilities. The bond
between parent and child is easily sew
cred and neglected by them, and at an
early age the child shifts for himself
before he has gathered the idea of his
dependence on parents that children
have in more advanced stages of living
who require many years of parental
support and counsel and encourage
ment in order that they may be fitted
to carry on work and perform duties Of
more difficult and noble character.
Home letter writing is an indication
as well as builder of personal char
acter, The boy leaves home to battle
his way in life, perhaps, or to prepare
himself in education for doing so, and,
if he be not of ignoble blood, he writes
a weekly letter TO his mother. He
coniides in her his hopes, his pros
poets, his reverses and his successes;
his letter is diary of things done and
thought of doing, of fears and conf
dence, of sorrow and joy, of ventures
made, of steps lost and won.
A mother. only mother can reply
to such letters. Her sympathy, adj
vice, and self-sacrifce, and heartfelt
concern are all truly feminine and
motherly. Her tender heart responds
to her boys trust and condolences,
like an Eolian harp TO the wind,
The son can not but be better and
stronger for the letters to his mother
and from her; he can not but feel that
he has acquitted himself more capably
and honorably, that he has been more
loyal to duty and rectitude, more faith
full to work undertaken and to mer
with whom he has been brought in as.
ISOLATION.
Daughters, nowadays, 60 away from
home to earn a living in the three
hundred and more occupations that
are open to women, and we may be
sure that they keep up correspond
ence with those at home-with mother
sister or brother, Girls, of course
are to be depended upon to do the
proper thing in this respect VIZ
know of girl who has lived away
from home for seven years and who
has never failed to write a weekly let
ter to her mother, and, it may be added
the mother has also written one in re
turn every week.
But when the daughter is married
and has the care of household ant
children, and probably good deal o
work to do--what thenP There ma,
be those who are constant, regular ant
frequent in their letter writing to thoa
who lived with them in the old home
but can they be expected to do as wei
as they did before MARRIAGE To
often, however, they not only follow
the old injunction and cleave to tn
husband, which, of course, is as
should be, but they sever themselve
almost entirely from the old home an
its former inmates. 1t is easy to Sc
how this happens, taking place as
does, gradually, and while cares absor
the thought and attention and Will
new attachments are building up an
maintaining new home. The resu,
is to be expected to considerable e1
tent, but it seems too bad that it shoul
; be as extreme as it often is. Tn
young woman, though a wife, may h
more truly daughter and sister, an
the young man may be more truly
son and brother, than they often al
= after leaving home, and letter writin
; is one of the best ways of showing i
, The connection between those
home and those who have departed is
: living force in character, in duty don
in the greenness of affection, in mutu
Z help and in self help. They are Il
refuge of homesicknesS and the solat
J of the distant parent; they strengtht
" the child for trials and they sustain Il
3 parent in loneliness. Truly the fan
lilies can be recognized that mainta
u letter writing with those who have d
parted into the walks of life-they c,
u be recognized by their paternal, the
u 6lial and their fraternal affections,
u their mutual responsiveness and ASST;
Il snce.-Good Housekeeping.
J.. "A gold-beater of Soochow, Chin
violated an agreement of the union
. which he belonged. His conduct
y furiatAd the craft. and the word mass